PARADIP: The district administration officials were gheraoed by United Action Committee (UAC) activists on Monday while supervising the felling of trees at the Posco project site in Balisahi under Nuagaon panchayat . The activists gheraoed SP S Debdatta Singh, ADM Sarojkant Chaudhary and other officials demanding a stop to felling of trees before their six demands were conceded. The key demands include providing a job to a member of each project-affected family, changing the method of measurement of betel vines and raising compensation for homestead and agricultural land. The agitators were pacified after the ADM promised to look into their demands. Sources said the Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO), State-owned land acquisition agency, had placed ` 1.91 crore with the district administration for felling of three lakh casurina trees for the Posco project.Earlier in the day, villagers under the aegis of UAC stalled work on the Posco steel project and the rehabilitation colony at Polang and Noliasahi under Gadakujang panchayat, demanding fulfilment of the demands. Following the agitation, IDCO employees who were deployed for the rehabilitation colony had to flee from the spot apprehending attack. The agitation was called off following intervention of the administrative officials. However, they have threatened to intensify the stir if the issues are not resolved in the next couple of days.Gadakujang Sarpanch Nakula Sahu said the administration would hold a meeting on Tuesday at Kujang to decided upon the demands.Gobindpur Villagers Form Human Barricade AgainTension mounted at Gobindpur on Monday after redeployment of force near the main entry point to the village by the State Government.As many as 400 armed police personnel were deployed at the spot for resumption of land acquisition for Posco steel project. Protesting this, the anti-Posco activists, including children, again formed the human barricade preventing entry of the officials into the village. The agitators were joined by State BJP president Jual Oram and other leaders of the party.District Collector Narayan Chandra Jena and SP S Debdatta Singh declared that the human barricade was illegal and action would be taken against the activists if they did not leave the spot. However, when the agitators did not budge, the security personnel and land acquisition officials had to back out. No untoward incident was reported.
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